Kindred
by NoSadGoodbyes
Summary: Lake City High School has some pretty strange kids in attendance. Bella feels a bizarre kinship with the school's newest misfit, Matthew: space cadet, piano prodigy, and not nearly the oddest teenager in the city of Coeur d'Alene by a long shot. Post BD.
1. Part I: Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This story (formally known as _Where is Home_) is getting a bit of a rewrite as I prepare to add the second half of the story. If you're a new reader, this won't matter to you. If you are an old reader, you might want to take the time to read again because I've added or changed a few details here and there. Bear with me as I make the changes chapter by chapter. As always, thanks for reading!_

* * *

_Kindred-Part I_

_Matthew_

I had been with my foster parents almost three months. I think it was some kind of record. The Roberts were really nice and Coeur d'Alene was beautiful even though it was crazy crowded with tourists much of time. It was certainly a lot different from Lewiston. I had lived in or around Lewiston for the bulk of my seventeen years. Lewiston wasn't exactly _ugly_ and it was sort of cool that it was a seaport even though it was like a whole state away from the ocean but it had a paper mill and it _smelled_...pretty much all the freaking time. Lewiston could get pretty hot during the summer and it hardly snowed in the winter. Plus it was super boring. I always felt so bad for the people who came down from Uniontown or Genesee to _have__ fun_. I mean, aside from a few restaurants and maybe fishing on the river or something, there really wasn't much to do in Lewiston.

There was a reason people came from all over the country to see Coeur d'Alene. The lake and the pine trees were a really gorgeous combination. I was continually surprised that two places so totally different from one another could be within a three hour drive of each other. Lewiston wasn't _that_ bad, I just didn't really have any good memories of living there. It was really nice to finally have a change. Cicely and Jonathan, my foster parents, had this awesome little house about a block from the water. You could see the lake from the deck upstairs. Every day before the school year started, I walked down to the beach even though it was packed with people and just stared out at the water for awhile. I had never lived anywhere where I could just walk a little while and see something that beautiful. I really loved it.

Cicely and Jonathan were both retired, they had lived in California before, somewhere near LA, I _think_. _I_ had certainly never been to California. I had never really been outside of _Lewiston_ except for right over the border into Clarkston,Washington (the two towns really were named that and I knew _way_ more about Lewis and Clark than I ever really wanted to) so I had no idea where they were talking about a lot of time. I guess I _could_ have looked at a map but California was just so damn big.

Cicely and Jon's two grown-up kids still lived down there but they were both super busy and didn't visit much. The Roberts' kids didn't seem very much like them, at least they didn't seem that way to me. Jon was always taking me out on the lake in their little boat for no other reason than to enjoy the view. Cicely was always cooking me something awesome to eat because she liked to cook and I liked to eat her food. Honestly, I couldn't think of what I had done to deserve such a great placement. It had certainly never happened before.

Anyhow, the Roberts moved up to Idaho when they retired and got this funny striped cat named Jude. But they wanted to do something else with their lives so they decided to foster some kids. They went through the training and stuff but they got some little ones at first and it didn't really work out too well, I guess. I was their first try at a teenager and we were a pretty good fit. I really appreciated that they didn't nag me for being such a space cadet most of time. They just rolled with things which made me feel really at ease.

It was the first time I had been that happy in a foster home and I had been in and out of them since I was seven. The other places I had lived were _okay_ and I wasn't mistreated or anything. I just was hardly ever in them long enough to get any sort of feeling for my foster parents. At least my mom couldn't claim me anymore. She had finally died the year before. I had given up on my mom long ago, _way_ before she died.

* * *

I noticed _them_ for the first time about a week after I started school at Lake City. Seven extremely beautiful people all sitting at a lunch table together. I wasn't really sure how I could have missed them before. But that was me, always off in my own little world. These kids stuck out like sore thumbs in a high school full of ordinary looking people. They were all extraordinary: pale-skinned and dark-eyed. They had that poetic look to their eyes that they give starving artists or people romantically dying of consumption (dying of Tuberculosis was just the _height_ of romance) in period films. They certainly didn't look unhealthy in the least though and they all had beautiful figures whether it was the honey-blond boy or the bronze-haired girl.

Two of them were blonds: a boy and a girl who were both tall and statuesque. Two were black-haired: a boy (a man really) with thick, curling locks and a bear-like physique and a girl who was tiny (shorter than me even) and fey with short spiky hair sticking up all over her head. Two were bronze-haired: a girl with soft curls cascading down her back, flushed cheeks, and warm chocolate-hued eyes and a boy with an untidy, but strangely old-fashioned seeming hairstyle. These two seemed related, there was a definite resemblance between them. Lastly there was the odd man out (odd _girl_ out actually), she was a brunette. Her hair fell to her waist in a shining river. Though the brown-haired girl did not have a twin in hair color within the group, she seemed just as much a part of the family as everyone else, if not more so. They all smiled at her and laughed, touched her arm. The bronze-haired two the most.

The bronze-haired boy was definitely her boyfriend. He always sat next to her and was constantly touching her. It wasn't obscene or anything. In fact, it seemed almost restrained when compared with other couples' behavior at our school, yet the love behind every touch was obvious. I envied their understated affection. The bronze-haired girl's relationship with the brunette seemed almost as close as the boy's. She also touched her a lot, but it was different. It seemed almost..._child-like_. It was like she saw a mother figure in the brown-haired girl. Not that I would know much about that kind of thing, not many mother figures in my life and it was a physical impossibility of course, the two girls looked about the same age.

There was something about the group, beside the fact that they all sat together at lunch, that made you bunch them together. The only one of them who ever seemed to made contact with the outside world was the bronze-haired girl. The others studiously ignored the goings on of the high school world around them. Each one of them was more than gorgeous enough to run with the popular crowd but instead they were in a league of their own. They seemed almost uncomfortable around others. Even the bronze-haired girl's attention didn't fall where you'd think it would. She tended to make friends with the people you'd least expect her to. A girl with a quirky sense of style that just didn't jive with what was currently popular. A boy who wore outdated glasses because he just didn't care what other people thought._ These_ were the ones who received her enthusiastic greetings in the hallways between classes: _the misfits_.

It was only after finally noticing them at lunch that I realized I had classes with some of them. The brown-haired girl especially. She was in my British Literature class, she was in my Music Appreciation class, she was in my Physics class. I listened to roll in British Literature for a name other than my own for once. Mrs. Bishop was kind of old-fashioned, she was the only teacher who actually still called roll out loud past the first week of school. I was actually kind of grateful for it for once. Normally it was just a reason for me to actually pay attention when I could have been spacing out. Bella Swan was the brown-haired girl's name and she had a voice like the sweetest bird's call even when just saying "here". It was a delicate and oddly antiquated name for one so young. Although Bella _had_ come into vogue around the time we were born. The combination of it and her last name made it sound much older.

Bella Swan's clothes only added to her old-fashioned mystery. Bella's clothing made her look like she would feel at home in a garden, happily tending a small farm or gathering flowers in a meadow. She wore a lot of loose-fitting clothing: flowing skirts in colors like cream or muted plaids or a pair of faded jeans, over her skirts and jeans she wore long soft sweaters. Her feet were usually encased in wooly looking boots. Not exactly the height of fashion but a definite statement: Bella Swan didn't care about mainstream fashion. Her clothes were about texture and comfort more than anything.

From listening a bit in classes to the conversations around me, not something I usually did, I learned that Bella was most decidedly the reigning princess of the school. She was the girl that most of the guys dreamed about. She was the girl most of the girls liked to gossip about. I couldn't quite figure that out. Bella was quiet, reserved, smart...not the type that was usually the subject of such discussions. Sure, she was beautiful. She was beautiful in a way most girls didn't know how to be and envied. She was beautiful because she was entirely herself. And her boyfriend _was_ the most gorgeous guy in the school, but Bella wasn't doing anything to warrant the sometimes negative attention. Why would her boyfriend go out with anyone else when she was there? I mean, were people absolutely mad?

Bella was a lot like me, she didn't talk to people in classes unless she had to. She didn't seem to have friends other than the people she sat with at lunch and even to my eye, they seemed more like they were family than friends. I had never really had friends (or family, for that matter) and it had never really bothered me, but sometimes it made it hard for me to understand how other people thought. It was easier for me to just live in my own little world where music was constantly playing in my head. I would worry about real life things when the time came. Sometimes just existing was hard enough.

* * *

_Author's Note: Coeur d'Alene is much of the time considered part of the Pacific Northwest (even though it's located in Idaho) and is a well-known resort town. It is really quite beautiful (I was there the day before yesterday and it was perfect vampire weather) but during the summer it gets a lot of tourists. Lewiston really does have a paper mill and really does smell much of the time (I was there yesterday...it smelled). It really is the farthest inland seaport on the West Coast which is kind of cool. Yes, I currently live in Idaho and it looks like we're going to be here awhile (my husband just got a job...he was working on his Master's before). Although, unlike Matthew, I lived in California (in various areas) before we moved here. If you've gotten this far, thank you! The next chapter will be from a more familiar POV._


	2. Part I: Chapter 2

_Bella_

I noticed him right away. The absolutely cutest brown-haired boy with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. His dark brown hair was always a mess, like bed-head gone all right, little bits sticking up here and there, the hair on one side of his head just slightly longer than the other, emphasizing those pretty blue eyes. It looked like an actual style, but I figured it was like Edward's hair, not one you could achieve by trying. I had noticed that he ran his fingers through it a lot when he was thinking or off in his own little world. Matthew was often in his own little world.

Matthew stood out from the crowd almost as much as we Cullens because he was beautiful and quiet. He seemed very delicate for a boy with his pale skin and willowy form. He was short for a boy as thin as he was too, only about 5 foot 6. It seemed like shorter guys tended to be stocky but not Matthew. Matthew seemed to have a preference for simple clothing, almost always clothed in a white tee-shirt and black pants. If it was a chilly day, he put on a black sweater over the rest. I kind of wondered what he would wear once it started snowing. I wasn't sure he could find a warm coat simple enough for his tastes. For all I knew, maybe he wouldn't be able to afford one.

People didn't like Matthew, for the same reason they didn't like us. He was handsome, efficient in his classes, talented. Matthew's talent came in the form of music I discovered when I walked into Music Appreciation a bit early one day. The class was right after lunch and sometimes I tired of the charade of pretending to eat. We were only a few weeks into the school year and I wondered how much longer I could take it. Edward, Alice, Reneesme and I were playing juniors, we still had almost two full school years ahead of us.

Coeur d'Alene was really lovely and Lake City High School was actually kind of pretty. It was in a little forested area and fit prettily with it's surroundings. Sometimes the glass exterior made it kind of problematic if the sun decided to suddenly break through the clouds though._ Thank God for Alice_. The huge phone store across the street was ugly as sin and it's animated billboard was the height of everything I hated about the world, plus people's constant thoughts about choosing the best new phone tended to drive Edward up a wall. Not to mention the fact that this weird hairstyle that involved completely covering one of your eyes was really popular in the area. It was really hard for Edward to keep a straight face when many a boy's thoughts involved the fact that they had narrowly avoided walking into someone or the wall. It seemed that obscuring the vision in one of your eyes wrecked havoc with your depth perception. I loved our house hidden in the trees almost as much as I loved the Cullens' house back in Forks, even so, the third time around, much like the first time around, high school was kind of drag.

The first time I heard Matthew play, all of the grievances I had about having to attend high school yet again completely fled my mind. He played the old piano in the music room with such emotion and expression that I was reminded of Edward. Matthew played with his eyes closed, feeling the keys rather than seeing them. After finishing his song, opening his eyes and coming back to reality, he seemed startled to find me watching him. He jumped up from the piano bench with such grace and fluidity that despite his striking blue eyes, I pondered not for the first time if he weren't in fact one of us. There was certainly _something_ about him though. A strangeness, an otherness that set him apart.

"I'm sorry to have startled you, Matthew", I spoke, "You play beautifully."

"You know my name?" Matthew blinked, looking startled.

I laughed, "I'm good at remembering things." It was hard for me to _forget_ things, even when I wanted to.

"You must be very good at remembering things if you remembered _my_ name." I didn't like the way he said that, it was degrading.

"On the contrary, I remembered your name especially, Matthew." He blushed and I laughed in my head. He was truly adorable. It was no wonder that despite him having no friends, Edward had told me that half the female student body had at least a slight crush on him, most were quite frankly in love with him. There were a few boys wondering if he might swing the other way as well. "My boyfriend, Edward, plays the piano. He plays wonderfully, but I think even he might be a little envious of your skill. Where did you learn to play like that?" I had wanted to have a reason to talk to Matthew for awhile. I was glad to have finally found it.

"I taught myself how to play when I was seven. The first foster home I was in then wasn't that great, but they had an old upright piano and they didn't mind if I entertained myself playing it." Matthew shrugged and went to sit down in his seat.

"That's terrible and wonderful all at the same time." I moved to sit in the seat next to him, stowing my bag under the chair. Matthew hid it well, but his blue eyes betrayed surprise that I was going to sit next to him. It was not my usual seat. I smiled at him, knowing full well what a smile directed at someone sitting right next to me could do. He sucked in a breath, biting his lip. His eyes were startling up close, a sparkling twilight blue. They, like my smile, held a strange power.

I had known Matthew was in a foster home. I _hadn't_ known he had been in them as far back as age seven. I wondered what his life had been like and what had happened to get him planted in foster care. I had asked Edward but it seemed Matthew kept such thoughts locked tight up inside him. Most of the time, Matthew was thinking about music. According to Edward, he had a sort of internal radio that was constantly playing some song or other, even in the background of other thoughts. Edward said he found it rather impressive for a human mind. Most people couldn't focus with something like that going on in their mind. I finally understood it now, Matthew lived and breathed music.

I noted from the corner of my eye the searching expressions of our fellow classmates as they began to filter into the room. My sharp hearing caught the whispered comments even as I carried on a conversation with Matthew who was, as usual, completely oblivious to the attention he garnered. "I took this class since Edward is so into music. I wish I could understand it the way he does. Why did you take the class if you can play piano like that though? It must be boring for you."

"I taught myself. I know nothing about real musical notation and theory. This school doesn't really have a music program, my old school didn't either. This is the only music class so I took it on a whim. I hope someday to really learn how to play the piano."

"You have a real ear then. You made that old piano sing. The piece you were playing must be one of your own then?" I prompted.

Matthew blushed again. His skin was so milky pale that it would show any slight flush. Probably bruise easily too. "No...I learned it from listening to an old CD."

"You learned it from just listening to it?" That _was_ impressive. He was probably a prodigy and he made such light of the fact. Maybe he didn't even realize it.

Matthew nodded his head sheepishly, "My current foster parents are looking for someone to give me lessons. They bought me an old keyboard when they heard I was interested in piano but it's not the same as playing a real piano. I enjoy having the opportunity to play this one."

"I'm a foster child too, you know. My foster parents, the Cullens, well, they're wonderful people." I hoped talking about that would make him more comfortable. I wanted to know more about his past.

"Are all of you foster children then? I mean, you and the people you sit with at lunch."

_Oops_, not exactly where I wanted him to go. Cracking Matthew was going to be harder than I thought. "Yes, although they have formerly adopted my brothers and sisters. I'm their newest acquisition. Everyone else has been with them a long time." That wasn't precisely true, but that was the story we told. It was so no one made a big deal about me being with Edward. In truth I was still Bella Cullen, forever and always, even if I was forced to go by Bella Swan at school again. It was the same reason Rosalie and Jasper went by the last name of Hale, so no one questioned why they were with Emmett and Alice. It made a _few_ less problems for us at least.


	3. Part I: Chapter 3

_Matthew_

"Matthew?" Bella's voice startled me from Radio Matt (Em-Ey-Tee-Tee...yes, my internal radio has call letters). It was currently playing some random techno song I had heard online the other day.

"Y-yes?" God, I hoped that didn't come out as badly as it sounded. Bella in close proximity made me kind of jumpy. I couldn't figure out why Bella was singling me out in classes recently. She still didn't talk to other people unless she had to, but me, _me_ she'd talk to for the whole period if we weren't doing anything important. She talked about anything and everything: music, books, places she'd been. I guess she felt comfortable with me. I wasn't sure I could ever be that comfortable with her.

"Earth to Matthew..." Bella's voice startled me from my thoughts again.

"_Sorry_." I guessed that I had disappeared off the radar for awhile. That was pretty typical for me.

Was it my imagination or was Bella stifling laughter, "I want you to meet my family at lunch. Will you come by our table?"

As if Bella's attention alone wasn't bad enough. I didn't even want to contemplate how I would act under the scrutiny of all those extra sets of shadowed eyes, "Uh..._what_?"

"I want you to meet the rest of my family, Matthew." Bella's golden eyes were inscrutable.

"Yes, I got that, but, _why_?"

"Because I think they'd like you. Because I want you to meet them, space boy." Bella grinned. I repressed the urge to shiver in pleasure. Bella's smile was something else.

"_Space_ boy?" I raised an eyebrow.

Bella cocked her head to the side, looking strangely animalistic. Like a wolf contemplating it's prey in many ways. "Yeah, because you're always in your own little world, you know."

"You noticed that, did you?" I sighed. There wasn't much that Bella didn't notice.

"Kind of hard to miss. I'd like to know just what's going on in there sometimes." Bella sounded sort of like Cicely, my foster mom, when she said that."Now are you or aren't you going to stop by our table at lunch, Matt?"

"Do I have a choice?" I replied, resignation creeping into my voice.

Bella giggled, "Nope. I'll come and track you down if you don't. Shouldn't be too hard to find you. You're usually in the same place." Bella had taken to coming into our Music Appreciation class early on most days. I would often come out of Matthew-land to find her sitting and watching me play piano. She never interrupted me, just sat and listened. Her attention was somewhat disturbing.

* * *

"See you at lunch, Matthew." Bella waved when British Literature was over. Everyone _stared_ at me. It was hard to be oblivious when every set of eyes in the classroom was trained on you.

When lunchtime rolled around I thought about hiding in the bathroom. I was sure that Bella would just send that boyfriend of her's in after me though. I dragged myself to the cafeteria, feeling the dread in the pit of my stomach. Bella spotted me right away, hopping up and shepherding me in the direction of their table. "This is Matthew everyone. That's Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and Alice, Reneesme and Edward." Bella pointed at each person as she spoke. Emmett was the bear. Rosalie and Jasper were the blonds. Alice was the tiny raven-haired girl. Reneesme (talk about a strange name) was the bronze-haired girl. Edward, I had actually already known his name since she tended to talk about him, was Bella's boyfriend.

"Hello." I said, feeling rather stupid and out of place.

Alice and Reneesme were the first to greet me. Alice spoke first, "I've been wondering about you, Matthew."

Reneesme beamed, "Yes, me too. I'm so glad to meet you, Matthew. Bella has spoken about you. We have PE the same period, I think."

Emmett's booming laugh filled the cafeteria, "Tiny thing, aren't ya?"

Jasper and Rosalie both nodded in my direction. Neither of them seemed much given to conversation. Nods were probably way more than most people got from them. I thought that maybe I should feel special. I just felt uncomfortable.

Edward was the last to greet me, "Bella tells me you play the piano. I'd like to hear you sometime." With Edward's full attention on me my heart started to beat in double time. Something about the golden depths of his eyes got me even more than Bella's did. I was suddenly extraordinarily anxious. Radio Matt started playing something ominous and my stomach clenched. There probably wasn't anything in it since I hadn't eaten lunch yet, but it seemed bent on emptying itself in the next few moments.

Edward vacated his seat suddenly, an icy hand on my shoulder pushed me into it. I could feel the cold of it even through the fabric of my tee. The chair too felt like it had been left out in the cold. I shivered. "Just take a deep breath", Edward's musical voice chided in a calming tone.

A water bottle was placed in front of me, a very warm hand touched my own. It was a shock after the coldness of the chair and Edward's hand. Unbidden, my mind was filled with images of the sun on the lake, the warmth of the rocks under my bare feet. "Try drinking some of this, Matthew." It was Reneesme.

"Good idea, Nessie." Edward's voice again. Somehow it didn't seem like he was talking about the water._Nessie_? Well Reneesme _was_ sort of mouthful. It kind of gave me the creeps that I was picking up on who's voice was who, considering that I had never heard them before that day. I dutifully took a sip of water, it did help settle my stomach a bit. I hazarded a look up at something other than my lap and was met again with Edward's golden eyes. I must have recovered, my head started playing music, that random techno song again. Edward's eyebrow raised in amusement, almost as though he could hear the music too.

"Now that that's over with." Bella seemed to find me rather comical. "Why don't you eat something so that doesn't happen again, space boy. You should eat a snack if you get that light-headed by lunchtime."

I appreciated Bella's excuse for my silly display. I wasn't sure what had come over me. I jumped up from Edward's chair only to find Emmett pulling one over from another table. "Thank you." I mumbled, running my fingers through my hair.

That got another booming laugh from Emmett. "You're welcome. I think you're gonna prove even more entertaining than Bella."

"_What_?" I questioned, but no one answered me. They were all laughing. Emmett had even startled a laugh out of Rosalie.


	4. Part I: Chapter 4

_Bella_

"Bella, what are you thinking? That kid is a mess. I can't get any kind of real reading on him because of the music constantly playing in his head. It's weird, almost like a defense mechanism." Edward looked over at me in the passenger's seat.

"I feel drawn to him, Edward. He reminds me of when I was human. He doesn't seem to fit in anywhere and there's just something about him. Don't tell me you didn't feel it."

"Bella's right, Edward. There _is_ something about him." Alice added her voice to the conversation.

I had wondered why Alice decided to come home in our car today instead of with Jasper on his motorcycle. It seemed she was here to take my side. I resisted the temptation to pump my fist in the air. With Alice on my side I could almost smell victory. "What have you seen, Alice?" I questioned.

"That isn't enough, Alice, and you know it." Edward had gleaned whatever evidence Alice had seen right from her head. I hated these conversations where I had no idea what Edward and Alice were even arguing about.

"Maybe not enough for you." Alice quipped

"_Hello_..." I waved my hands in front of Alice's face. "Non-mind reading vampire here. Would you please tell me what you saw?"

"Sorry, Bella." Alice glanced at Edward, who's look was dark. "I don't think I should tell you. I don't think Jasper would be too pleased if Edward did to me what he just started contemplating."

"Edward!" I was exasperated.

He didn't even look away from the road this time. "The things Alice saw can't be helped, Bella. We can't interfere."

"_Grrr_...I don't even know what you're talking about, Edward. You are so frustrating sometimes!"

"You can't turn every human that you like into one of us, Bella. You know that."

"I'm not asking to, Edward. I just want to be friends with him. There's no rule that says I can't make friends with a human."

"Daddy..." Reneesme had looked like she was studiously ignoring our conversation from the backseat but now she turned the full force of her eyes on Edward. "I think we should be friends with him too."

"You're outnumbered, Edward." Alice grinned hugely from beside Reneesme in the backseat.

"And hen-pecked." He muttered under his breath.

I snorted. Reneesme had Edward wrapped around her little finger. He hardly ever denied her anything. "That's settled. We're making friends with Matthew", I enthused.

"Like you hadn't already made friends with him, Bella", Edward sighed, "I've heard people in your classes thinking about the fact that you've been paying so much attention to him lately. How far are you going to take this? Does he just sit with us at lunch and talk to us at school? I feel like you're trying for more, like you want to bring him here eventually."

Edward had seen right through me, of course I wanted to bring Matthew here eventually. I fumed inside my head, trying to think of an answer for him. Edward slammed the door of the black BMW that was technically _my_ car. I didn't get the same enjoyment out of driving as the rest of them did so I usually let Edward do the driving. After fifteen or so years I had finally gotten used to this family's super sonic driving.

Emmett was leaning on the tool bench in the garage. "You'd _better_ let that kid sit with us at lunch, Ed. He's the most entertaining human I've met in a long time and Bella is scary when she doesn't get her way, bro."

I smiled, punching Emmett in the arm. He mock-scowled at me, rubbing his arm. It annoyed him that I could still beat him in an arm wrestle. Jasper and Rosalie were also both waiting in the garage. Rosalie's eyes said she agreed with Edward but she wasn't going to voice her opinion when it was a loosing battle. Besides, she _hated_ agreeing with Edward. Alice had gone to stand by Jasper, the two of them having a silent conversation with their eyes.

"I like him." Jasper finally spoke, which was enough of an answer for me.

"Yay!" I jumped up to kiss Jasper on the cheek, which made him smile.

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "I hope this is a good decision, since no one is going to listen to me. I guess I _would_ like to figure out what makes that boy tick and he's just spacey enough to be oblivious to most of our eccentricities. You know, I don't think he thought once about the fact they we weren't eating at lunch."

"That's space boy for you."

"Though it was hard to tell over the song he was playing in his head. I'll give him one thing, he has good taste in music." Which was something coming from Edward.

"He was really playing it all through lunch?" I inquired. I still didn't quite understand this internal radio thing Edward had described to me.

"_After_ his nervous breakdown, he was playing some really over the top piano piece at that point. When he calmed down he was playing the same song he had been playing most of the day. It sounded just like listening to it on a loop. Matthew's mind is strange. I've never come up against another human mind like it. It's like he has the radio on constantly."

"I've been watching him play piano almost everyday. I know I've told you already but I think even you would be amazed at his talent, Edward. He plays everything from his head since he can't read music. I think maybe he uses music as an escape from other things. I can't get him to talk about his past and he doesn't seem to recognize the cues I give him."

"Bella, he's never had friends before. I took that thought straight from his head. He knows he's a little odd. He can't figure out why you're talking to him, let alone keep track of your conversations. Give him some time to get comfortable with you."

"Hey." Jacob came out to the garage, putting his arm around Reneesme. "Why are you having a conference in the garage?"

"Bella's picking up strays", Emmett put in.

"Bella is convincing us to make friends with a boy at school", Edward explained further, since Emmett's explanation had made very little sense.

"You're tired of Ed already, Bells?" Jacob cracked a smile.

I rolled my eyes. "I just want to make friends with this kid, Jake. He's really interesting."

"_He is_." Reneesme spoke. "I really want to hear him play the piano. Do you think we can get him to come here and play?"

"Well, I can try asking him. The worst thing he can do is say no, but my guess is if I describe Edward's piano to him, he'll want to play it, given the opportunity. I don't think he's ever gotten to play on anything so nice before."

I had already made up my mind, I was going to ask him over tomorrow.


	5. A Season in Hell

_A Season in Hell_

_Matthew_

I knew something was up when Bella came into British Literature early that day. She had a certain look in her eye that scared the hell out of me. She knew somehow that I wouldn't be able to resist the chance to play another piano and Edward's sounded phenomenal. The one here at school was old (not in a good way) and slightly out of tune. I agreed to meet Bella after school but with trepidation. I didn't understand her and her family's interest in me. They had welcomed me at their table at lunch yet again today. No one had ever shown this much interest in me before. Was I making friends without even knowing it? I wasn't sure I even wanted to.

After school, I was met at the curb by Edward Cullen's black Audi. I slid in the backseat next to Reneesme.

I addressed Edward in the front seat,"I'm really sorry but my foster mom wants to meet you all when you drop me off at home later. Is that alright with you?", Some small part of me was hoping it wasn't and I could just call Cicely to pick me up after all.

I had called Cicely earlier in the day to let her know that I was going over to a friend's (that sounded weird) house and that they were going to drop me off later. She usually picked me up from school since it was too far to walk to their house and I didn't have a driver's license. She was working on me on that, she and Jon had two cars and were quite willing to let me drive one of them if I got my license. During the course of the phone call Cicely had expressed an interest in meeting these friends of mine. I _guessed_ that was the kind of thing mothers liked to do. I wasn't sure, this was a situation I had never been in before now.

"No, that's quite alright, Matthew", Edward answered, looking oddly perplexed.

_Dammit_. I spaced out most of the way to their house. When we got there I was surprised to find myself near a secluded part of the lake. It didn't seem like we had been driving long enough to get to this part of the county. The Cullen's house was surrounded in pine trees. It was a wood constructed home and looked pretty old but it was in beautiful condition. Edward parked the car in a large garage to the side of the house. Inside were several other shiny cars, three or four motorcycles, and a big jeep. The Cullen's were loaded. I wondered what their father and mother did and if it was legal.

Edward seemed to be fighting a smile, "Come on, our mom wants to meet you and there are a few other people living here that would like to meet you as well."

The next face I saw was pale, kind-looking, and no more then twenty-five. She had the same shadowed look around her eyes as the rest of them. Didn't anyone get enough sleep around here? Her mouth pulled into a smile as she took me in, "Hello, Matthew. Welcome to our home. My name is Esme. Carlisle expressed his regret at not meeting you but he had to work and I am sure there will be a later opportunity."

This young looking woman was their mother? I knew you only had to be twenty-one to be a foster parent...I knew all the foster care rules. _I_ had never been placed in the home of someone so young before though. I wondered what it would be like to have someone so close to your own age as a mother. Did it make them more understanding?

"Umm...I'm pleased to meet you. T-thank you for having me here", I ran my hand through my hair, a nervous habit of mine. Esme's smile only got wider.

Reneesme brought forward a guy who was at least a foot and a half taller then her. I was about the same height at Reneesme, leaving me looking upwards to see his face.

"Jacob Black, Nessie's boyfriend", the huge guy stuck out a hand for me to shake. My hand disappeared into his own. It was feverishly hot on my skin. I was more then relieved when Jacob dropped his hand.

Another guy had appeared at Jacob's side, "Seth Clearwater", he spoke with a smile. He shook my hand as well, his hand was also too warm. What was with these guys?

"And this is my girlfriend, Tallulah", Seth referred to the tiny, white-blond and pale girl about two feet below him. She was smaller then Alice even, maybe about 4 foot 9 and looked about fifteen at the most.

"Hello", Tallulah said in a voice as soft as ash.

Her eyes were a startling shade of amber. I glimpsed them only for a moment before she disappeared again into Seth's side. Tallulah clung onto Seth's hand with both of her's. One tiny, delicately nailed hand wrapped around his thumb, the other around the rest of his fingers.

Seth looked down at her with an expression of utmost devotion. He rubbed his thumb down her cheek. It only made the icy pallor of her skin more apparent. She smiled up at him and shivered a little. That little smile was like a wildfire. Seth seemed to bask in it's glow. I wondered how that worked out. She was just so tiny. It didn't seem like it would work at all.

"Oh it works just fine. She's much stronger then she looks", Edward mumbled.

Everyone looked at him. Probably wondering what the hell he was talking about. I looked at him incredulously. I had noticed it before. Sometimes he seemed to answer a question I asked only in my head.

I decided to ignore it for the time being, "You're house is huge. I guess it would have to be though with all of you living in it", I hoped my small talk was appropriate. I wasn't used to having to do it. Meeting all these new people was hellish.

Bella laughed, "Jake and Seth and Lulu live here too."

I had thought that Jacob and Seth were part of the Coeur d'Alene tribe that was nearby but if they lived here, perhaps not. I had never seen them at our school before though. That explained the size of the Cullen's house. I counted in my head: Bella, Edward, Reneesme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, Jacob, Seth, and Tallulah.

"Twelve", Edward, put in before I could count them all.

"How did you..." I began, startled that it seemed like Edward had pulled the thought right out my head again.

Bella interrupted me, glaring at Edward, "Edward, go and show Matthew your piano."


	6. The Eraser

_The Eraser_

_Matthew_

Edward's piano was amazing. I knew I wanted to play it the moment I saw it. Those black and white keys just called to me. It looked old, I mean really old. It was a grand piano made of dark, warm wood with cut work on the music stand. It had to be worth a lot of money. They just didn't make pianos like that anymore.

"Are you sure I can..." I trailed off. I would think most people would be less then giving, if they had a piano like this all to themselves.

Edward cut in, "Of course, Matthew", he put his cold hand on my shoulder, "I want you to play it. I'm not going to dangle the privilege in your face, only to take it away."

I sat down on the bench, running my fingers lovingly over the keys. I let them figure out what I was going to play. Something soft or something completely over the top? My mood said soft. I was filled with all sorts of emotions coming into this house and being welcomed but the most apparent feeling was the one I couldn't recognize. It felt _soft_.

A song I had been listening to yesterday ran through my head. I shut my eyes, feeling for the keys. God, this piano was _amazing_. The sound that came from it was so rich and mellow. I wanted to die playing it. So I played, knowing that I could die happy now. When I opened my eyes again the entire Cullen clan was standing in the room staring at me. I blushed to the roots of my hair. They hadn't been here when I had begun, it had just been me and Edward.

"You can come and play the piano anytime you want, Matthew", Edward spoke from beside me. He looked shaken, I had never seen Edward looking like that before, "I'll teach you how to read music, if you want. Though I'm not sure I see the point when you seem to be able to listen to something and play it like that."

"You really would?" I felt suddenly light. Learning how to read music has been a dream of mine for a long time.

"Yes." He answered simply.

* * *

"This is my room", Bella had taken me up the stairs after my impromptu concert. I was still kind of in a daze, what with Edward saying he would teach me to read music.

One wall of her room was completely covered in bookshelves, floor to ceiling, books overflowing the shelves. Her walls were colored twilight blue with sparkling stars here and there and a crescent moon visible above the couch which appeared to be fashioned of cedar logs. The cushions were a blue and green based plaid shot with silver. Little twinkle lights strung around the room provided muted light. From the ceiling hung a collection of seashells from little bits of string. Beach glass, pine cones, and little bowls of sand competed for space on the edges of the bookshelves. It was an astonishingly personal space. I could tell all the things Bella loved just by looking at the room. She loved nature, the outdoors, the color of sky at twilight, reading, and simple things.

"It's beautiful, Bella." I had never been allowed or had time to create a room that was so personal.

"You look like you're going to cry, Matt. It isn't anything special."

"But it is, it's so _you_. But where do you sleep, Bella?" There was no bed in the room, which I found rather odd.

"See that door there", she pointed to the door cut into the right side of her room, "That leads to Edward's room. Believe me, he never locks the door."

I was a little taken aback that their parents would allow that. But I didn't say anything. The Cullens weren't exactly what you'd call _normal_. Still, I wondered how they got that through their house visits from foster care services.

She pointed at the door on the left side of her room, "That leads to Nessie's room. She _should_ keep the door locked sometimes, but she never does. Thankfully or not thankfully, I have excellent hearing though."

Bella turned the knob to Edward's room. She pulled me through the doorway with her frosty grip. The first thing I noticed was Edward, lying hugely on their golden toned bed like a lion in repose. I hated to admit it to myself but Edward both attracted me and scared the hell out of me, all at the same time. Edward's mouth curled up into a grin. I looked away, feeling the heat in my face. The room was a little bigger then Bella's, the walls covered in black fabric. One wall was taken up by an expensive looking sound-system. That explained all the black fabric. Underneath the sound system was a black leather couch. In the background _The Gallery_ by Muse played.

"'Hullabaloo'? You've got good taste, Edward. It's my favorite Muse album with 'Showbiz' running a close second. Most people haven't even heard of it. I don't like their later stuff as much. Too little angst and too little piano."

Edward lost his lion in repose look for a moment. Bella crawled up onto the bed with him. He put his arm around her absentmindedly. I sat down on the couch. The acoustics in this room were to die for. I put my head back and shut my eyes. The player changed over to _Hyper Chrondriac Music_. I sang along under my breath.

When I opened my eyes again, both Bella and Edward were staring at me incredulously. It was Bella who spoke, "Honestly, Matt, you sounded like him just now. I never heard your singing voice before. Can you play the guitar too?"

"Jon, my foster dad, has one. He lets me mess around on it", I shrugged.

Edward made a funny choking sort of noise,"Then you probably can. Dear God, you baffle me, Matthew. You play the piano like a professional and you have fabulous taste in music. Where the hell did you come from?"

"I could ask you the same. As for knowing about Muse, that _is_ how I got my name you know. My middle name is Bellamy. My mom loved them. Perhaps to obsession, but she was like that about everything. That's about the only nice thing she ever did for me."

"She had no idea how apt the name would turn out to be, did she?", Bella was beside me on the couch in a flash of movement. She pecked me on the cheek, her lips as cold as her ice. Her scent up this close was overwhelming.

_Author's Note: If you've never listened to _The Eraser_ by Thom Yorke, please do. I listened to it on loop while writing this chapter. Sometimes the songs I use for chapter titles don't make sense to anyone but myself, but this one, this one is special. And yes, if your wondering, "Hullabaloo" is my favorite Muse album. Sometimes a little bit of my personality slips into Matthew. It's technically a compilation album made up of b-sides and live performance. However, I think it's some of their best work but I'm also not really the biggest fan of "Black Holes and Revelations" or "The Resistance", so that might tell you something. And thanks for reading!_


	7. Space Dementia

_Space Dementia_

_Edward_

Bella _had_ warned me. There was no kind of warning that could have ever prepared me for listening to Matthew play the piano. I heard him think about the song he was going to play as his fingers barely floated over the keys. It was a complicated piece, not something a beginner or even an intermediate musician would be able to play without a lot of practice. It still amazed me that Matthew could play things like a recording in his thoughts, but I was absolutely astounded when he actually began to play the piece right out of his head, _perfectly_. It shook me to my very core.

I barely noticed everyone else trailing into the room. Their heads were filled with thoughts that mirrored my own. Matthew was a completely different being when he was making music. I watched in amazement as his long fingers searched for the keys that he wanted, knowing exactly which one to touch next and how he should be play it. No lessons could have ever taught him that. I hesitated to use the word but he was a prodigy. He made me feel insignificant. I had spent years of immortal life perfecting my skill at piano. This human boy was barely seventeen and had taught himself to play at seven.

After his performance, in our bedroom, Matthew was suddenly at ease with Bella and I. It was like his veil had been torn off. I had finally cracked his shell and I saw a boy who was damaged but who was trying to manage life as best he could. It was such a small thing, teaching him to read music, yet his mind told me that no one had ever offered him that kind of gift before. That was how he saw it, as a priceless gift. Then there was Matthew's singing voice, that took me aback as well. Not only did he have a talent for playing the piano, his voice also was something special.

On the way to his house, Matthew was squished between Alice and Reneesme. They had both insisted upon coming along to meet his foster mother. I almost felt sorry for the poor woman, unless she was as spacey as Matthew, she was going to have a time of it meeting all of us at once. Even Matthew seemed to be having a time of it, being in such close proximity to all four of us. His brain was in overdrive, picking up our inhuman scents, trying to keep up with Reneesme and Alice's constant chatter and of course listening to the music I had on in the car. That was so Matthew.

The Roberts' house was near old town, about a block from the water. It was a little house, surrounded by old trees: a fairy tale house. It reminded me of the house Bella and I had lived in when we were first married. Bella opened the block in her mind to me, thinking similar thoughts. I smiled over at her, thinking of the wonderful memories we had made together in that place. Sometimes it still amazed me that I would be able to spend eternity with her.

"Hey Cicely, I'm home", Matthew called, as he pulled off his shoes in the doorway.

Housed to the right of the entryway was a shoe rack. The Roberts had wood flooring. So did we and even Esme complained about keeping it clean. Why hadn't we thought of such a solution to the problem? Immortal life and we hadn't been able to think of this simple solution. Alice was biting her cheek, she was thinking of the same thing.

A woman who was probably in her early sixties with deep laugh lines around her mouth and an apron on came out at his call. I could smell something cooking in the kitchen. Chicken and tomato sauce...and a vanilla cake fresh from the oven. The woman's face betrayed surprise when she took in all five of us in standing there. Her mind said she had been expecting one friend, not four, and certainly not four people that looked like us.

"Should we take off our shoes?" I asked politely, hoping to break the ice.

Cicely smiled, looking much younger suddenly, "Thank you."

She came and patted Matthew on the cheek as we busied ourselves removing our shoes, "Show them into the living room, Matt. I'll be there in a moment."

Cicely cared deeply for Matthew. She had been worried when he had shown no sign of making friends at school. She knew he was a quiet boy and much given to spending time in his own little world. She was ecstatic that he had finally brought home some friends, especially when they seemed so polite.

We settled ourselves in the small living room. The loveseat fit Bella, Reneesme, and I. Matthew sat on one of the ends, leaving the two chairs open for Alice and his foster mother. I was utterly surprised when a strange looking striped cat hopped into my lap and stared me straight in the eyes. I had smelled it when we came into the house but usually animals shied away from us. I had thought it would stay in Matthew's room where it been asleep but here it was. The cat showed no fear of me what so ever.

"_Jude_, you little traitor", Matthew called to it, "He likes men", Matthew explained, looking at me, "You can push him off if you don't like cats, he won't mind."

"I don't mind", the cat, Jude, was rubbing his head on my hand. I was surprised, it must feel so foreign to him. I stroked his soft head, feeling the rumbling purr and warmth of his fur under my hand.

"Ah, Jude has found a new favorite", Cicely had come back into the room, she was smiling broadly, "I'm sorry it's so crowded in here."

"Not at all", Bella laughed.

"Are you going to introduce your friends, Matthew?" Cicely prompted.

"Yes...sorry, Cicely", Matthew ran a hand through his hair with a chagrined smile, "This is Edward, Bella, Reneesme, and Alice", he pointed to each of us as he spoke, "This is my foster mother, Cicely."

"I'm pleased to meet you all", Cicely nodded at each of us, "Thank you for making friends with my little space cadet."

"_Cicely_", Matthew was blushing.

Bella busted up beside me, "I call him space boy!" Bella and Cicely laughed together.

Matthew cleared his throat, looking embarrassed, "Edward has promised to teach me how to read music. Isn't that awesome, Cicely!"

"That's wonderful, Matthew!" Cicely really meant it. She turned to me, "That's so kind of you, Edward. I'm so glad that Matthew has made some friends that he can get along with so well. Will you all stay for dinner? I've made plenty."

"I'm afraid our mom will have dinner waiting for us when we get home. Thank you so much for the offer though. It smells lovely", Reneesme was the only one of us who could make that sound sincere. Food smelled strange to the rest of us. Like it wasn't food anymore because to us, it really wasn't.

"We should probably get going, Mrs. Roberts, but I'm sure we'll be seeing you again. It was so nice meeting you", Alice enthused.

"You can call me, Cicely, Alice, and I hope I do see you all again. Jude...let Edward up", Cicely scolded the cat halfheartedly.

I had barely noticed but I had been stroking Jude all this time. He was purring away as if my freezing cold hand on him was the most wonderful thing. What a strange cat. I had a feeling that Jacob was going to say that I stunk worse then usual when I got home. I gave Jude one last pat with a grin.


	8. Midnight in a Perfect World

_Midnight in a Perfect World_

_Bella_

"You stink, Ed. Even worse then usual. Why was a cat rubbing all over you?" Jacob's nose wrinkled in distaste. He was working on one of the cars in the garage.

Edward seemed to be fighting back laughter. I had wondered what that slightly evil grin had been about before he put Jude down back at Matthew's house. He and Jacob loved to bait each other. Sometimes it still surprised me what good friends they had become, what with the immortal enemies thing and all.

"Matthew's cat had a crush on Edward. He ignored the rest of...little brat", I explained. I had wanted to pet the cat too. It wasn't an everyday occurrence since most animals shied away from us. Jude only had eyes for Edward though and I hadn't had the heart to disturb him.

"_He_. Making friends with male cats? You're taste has changed, Ed", Jacob snickered. Edward punched him playfully in the arm.

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes Jacob was just so juvenile. I wasn't sure how Nessie put up with it, "Oh shove it, Jake. What a strange cat though. Why wasn't he scared of us?"

"No one in that house was scared of us, Bella. It was a pretty weird experience in general", Edward leaned against the car. Jacob had gone back to whatever he had been working on under the hood and ignored our conversation.

I wandered into the house, "Matthew's foster mom was sweet though."

Edward trailed behind me, "She genuinely cares about him. I hope she can mend some of his damage before it's too late."

I stopped in my tracks, "What do you mean _too late_, Edward?" I turned to Edward.

He sighed, "Nothing, Bella. I told you, we can't interfere. What will happen, will happen. It's nothing to do with Matthew himself, if that makes you feel any better."

"It's one of his foster parents, isn't it?" I pried.

Edward wasn't going to give in today, I could tell, "I'm not saying anything more about it."

I changed the subject, knowing Edward meant what he said. There was no point in getting into an argument with him if he wasn't going to give in. Edward didn't go back on his word, "What was with all those slip ups with Matthew earlier, Edward? It isn't like you to reveal so much of yourself around outsiders", I was headed toward our bedroom. I had had a hard time covering for Edward. It had only worked because Matthew was so out of it most of the time.

Edward caught up to me, catching my hand in his own, "You were right, Bella. It's much to easy to be myself around him. There is something decidedly odd about that boy. Not to mention the fact that he can't read a note of music yet plays piano like a virtuoso."

"You're just jealous, my love", I squeezed Edward's hand.

"Not jealous so much as feeling decidedly lacking. Not an emotion I experience very often", his smile was chagrined.

"Maybe you need to be put in your place once in awhile." I tilted my head to kiss him.

It didn't last very long since Emmett came down the stairway on his way to the garage, "_Yuck_. Get a room, you two", he bantered.

"We were just on our way, dear brother. I'll make sure you can hear us from miles away", my smile was devious.

"You just try that, little sis", I heard his laughter all the way out to the garage.

"It was very kind of you to offer to teach Matthew to read music, Edward", I crawled up on our bed.

Edward came up beside me and put an arm around me, "It wasn't just kindness that made me offer it, I must admit. I would like to get into his head some more. He was so much more open with us after that. He even told us a few things about his mother and I caught a few other things from his thoughts. It was odd how much that song got him thinking about his mom."

"What did you learn?" I was more curious then I could say to know more about Matthew. Until today he had been a closed book.

"His mother was an alcoholic, addict...you name it. Matthew wasn't kidding when he said she did everything to obsession. That included mothering him. She wouldn't give him up. That's why he's been in so many foster homes...because he would get put in one, she would get out of rehab or whatever, and want him back, only to get into some new obsession and land him in foster care again. She died last year of an overdose and Matthew is really torn about that. He isn't sure whether to feel sad or thankful that he has no real family connections anymore. He wants to miss her but he just can't. He's too thankful she can't claim him anymore. He never knew who his father was."

I took in all this new information. I certainly didn't have the best mother in world. Renee was almost as spacey as poor Matthew. She believed that Edward and I were currently living and working in Iceland, of all places. We had chosen someplace she probably wouldn't want to visit on purpose, saying we moved around the island a lot for Edward's geological work (as if Edward had really ever been interested in Geology). Renee bought it and I hadn't seen her since our wedding. Renee wasn't a _terrible _mother though.

I had no experience with this kind of situation. It made me feel even more for Matthew, if that was possible. It was no wonder he was such a mess. I felt luckier then ever for the relationship I had with Charlie. It made me want to visit him and Sue. It was supposed to be really sunny a couple of days next week, maybe we could make a visit. It had been a few weeks since we had been over that way. Not that the weather reports were ever very reliable around here.

"Now what was that about making sure Emmett could hear us from miles away", Edward startled me from my thoughts. He was hovering over me.

My breath came in a whoosh. Edward was too beautiful. I wondered if this feeling would ever wane. I don't know what I ever did right to deserve him. He lowered his mouth to mine and for the rest of the night I forgot about Matthew. Emmett complained in the morning about the noise. Edward and I laughed it off.


	9. Angelica

_Angelica_

_Matthew_

When I woke up the next morning, I was inclined to think the previous day had been a dream. Was I really going to learn how to read music? It didn't seem possible. It had been my dream for much too long. Jude was sleeping on my stomach, I pushed him off. He let out an annoyed meow. The clock said I only had about ten minutes to get ready for school.

I pulled on random clothes from the floor. Jude jumped up on my unmade bed again, seeking the warmth I had left behind, "You've got it made, buddy", I patted his head before leaving. He shut his eyes and purred.

"Matt, are you up finally?" Cicely called up the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm up", I came down and headed for the kitchen.

"Your friend Edward called just a bit ago offering you a ride to school. He's taking you over to their house again after school for music lessons. Such nice friends you've made, Matthew", Cicely added for the umpteenth time.

It was her first time saying it today though. She had said the same thing about twenty times during dinner last night. So it wasn't all a dream. The day had been so bizarre though, I had been beginning to think I had imagined it. I crammed a piece of toast in my mouth.

"You're eating too fast, Matt. Maybe you should get up earlier, sweetie", Cicely scolded with no real heat, "Here's your lunch."

"Thanks, Cicely. What would I do with you?" I kissed her on the cheek, leaving bread crumbs in my wake.

Cicely smiled and shook her head as she wiped away the crumbs, "Go do something with that hair. I'd like to see both your eyes for once."

I rushed into the bathroom, hurriedly washed my face and brushed my teeth. I ran the comb through my hair but it managed to look like it always did, a mess. I get it cut and three days later it starts doing this again. My hair has a mind of it's own. No use fighting it.

Edward, Bella, and Reneesme were waiting in the living room when I came back down the stairs. I hadn't even heard the doorbell ring. Jude was in Edward's lap again but it was Bella and Reneesme making over him this time. Jude was just eating it up, purring so loudly I could hear him from the doorway.

I ran a hand through my hair, probably further messing it up, judging by the way Cicely was eying me, "Sorry to keep you waiting. I didn't know you were here."

"No worries, Matthew", Edward spoke, he seemed to be enjoying himself almost as much as Jude. He grinned as he scratched the cat under the chin.

I retrieved my bag and put on my shoes. Edward, Bella, and Reneesme soon joined me, each bending to put on their shoes and certainly looking more graceful then I ever did doing it.

"Have a good day, all of you", Cicely waved us off.

"I love your cat", Reneesme beamed at me after we were settled in the backseat.

"Yeah, Jude is pretty awesome", I agreed.

After that is was mostly silence on the way to school. That was probably partially my fault. Though no one else seemed particularly troubled by the silence. I had never heard the album Edward was playing. It caught all of my attention. It was piano music and it was lovely.

My curiosity finally got the better of me, "What is this?"

"That's Edward playing", Bella answered me, "Edward told me not to play it but I thought you might like to hear him."

My jaw dropped, "This is you playing? I'm going to learn how to read music from _you_? Edward, you're awesome. Why didn't you play for me yesterday? Do you write your own music?"

"Yes, I write my own music but I've had literally _years_ of practice, Matthew, to perfect my skill. You taught yourself, you're the amazing one. I wanted to hear _you_ play yesterday."

I blushed, I couldn't help it. Edward sounded completely sincere in his praise of me. It was hard to take. I wasn't used to friends, let alone friends who admired me.

"Thank you", I mumbled.

"You're quite welcome", Edward was looking in the rear view mirror, "Jazz and Alice have caught up with us."

I looked through the back window. A large and sleek silver motorcycle was idling behind us. Tiny Alice sat behind Jasper, looking like a little china doll on the back of the giant thing. She waved enthusiastically at us, lifting her visor to grace us with a smile. How did this happen? Just weeks ago I was a loner, a loner by choice, but a loner still. How did I end up paling around with the untouchable kids at school and actually liking them? It was a complete mystery to me.

"Because you're just as untouchable", it was Edward's voice. I was startled from my own thoughts. But Edward wasn't even looking at me, it must have been my imagination.

We had arrived at school. For the first time I noticed the surreptitious glances from other students. No doubt they were wondering what the hell king of the space cadets, Matthew, was doing riding to school with the cool kids. Emmett and Rosalie had been waiting for their siblings in the parking lot beside a tiny red sports car. I wasn't quite sure how Emmett fit in the little thing.

Emmett greeted me with his usual, "Hey, Matt", patting me on the back so hard I wanted to cough. Rosalie even smiled at my valiant effort not to.

Alice came dancing up to me with a huge smile, "Hi!" She looked me up and down with a sigh. I wasn't even sure what I was wearing. After all, I had just picked clothes from the floor this morning, "I guess white tee-shirts and black pants _are_ classics."

"Don't mind Alice, Matt", Jasper came up behind her. I think it might be the first time he had ever spoken to me directly, "She'd dress us all if she could."

"I just like to see everyone looking their best is all", Alice sighed again.

"And some of us would like to be comfortable", Bella came up behind me, threading her icy arm through mine, "Come on, Matt, we're watching _Jane Eyre_ today in British Literature. Don't want to be late", she stuck her tongue out at her foster sister, before pulling me in the direction of our class.


	10. Undo

_Undo_

_Edward_

If I had thought that teaching Matthew to read music was going to be easy, I would have been mistaken. I had not set myself up for disappointment though, I had known it was going to be hard for Matthew, no matter that he was gifted. We were just starting on the basics and already he seemed lost. It was difficult for him to focus when faced with a piano. More then anything he just wanted to play, to get lost in making music. Middle C, sharps, and time signatures were tiresome when compared with actually playing the piano...which Matthew could already do, quite beautifully. Sometimes I didn't really understand why Matthew wanted to learn how to play piano the traditional way but he did and I had promised to teach him. I would not go back on my word.

Matthew was very polite, he never complained out loud. In his head however, his complaints were numerous. _This is so boring, Edward,_ I heard more then once. _Why did they stop at G?_ _There are plenty of other letters in the alphabet. _And _why are C sharp and D flat the same key? Couldn't they just choose to call it one or the other? _The list of complaints went on and on. Some of them were certainly justified and I had a hard time keeping a straight face. Matthew was a hard worker though and I couldn't say anything about his dedication. He plodded along, even when he was confused. He really did want to learn.

I kept our lessons to a one hour maximum and I let him play whatever he wanted at the end our session. His talent still astounded me, I hoped these lessons would help and not hurt what he already had. Sometimes he asked me to play for him and I obliged him. Esme would bring him a snack at this point, which he would always ignore until after I had finished playing. Matthew _loved_ music. The more I got to know him, the more I learned that our musical tastes were extremely similar. It was not often that I could surprise him with something new, he had heard and liked most of it already. It always amazed me when he shared something with me that I had never heard before. I had never met someone who loved music as much as I did. I think sometimes that Matthew loves it more. He feels music in a way I cannot comprehend.

I watched and waited as Matthew came out of his shell. His smiles came more and more from the heart and in increasing frequency. He got comfortable with us to the point that he would greet us and seek us out at school all on his own. If he hadn't chosen to hang out with us all the time he probably would have become the most popular boy at school by now. Hormones were running rampant and he was the subject of many a girl's thoughts and fantasies. If he wasn't still living in his own little world half the time he might have noticed, but then he wouldn't be Matthew. There was something about him, a genuineness and charm that made him appealing. If he were to try and make his way as a professional musician, he probably had what it took. Not to mention the drive and talent.

Matthew learned to drive, which he hated, but he had promised Cicely that he would. Personally, I didn't think it was a good idea for one as distracted as he was to be on the road, especially in the snow. But driving was a life skill, something everyone should learn how to do. It was winter and Matthew could play simple songs the traditional way on the piano. He was making progress, slowly but surely. His foster father was teaching him how to play the guitar on the weekends. Anything music related, Matthew just ate up.

When we met Jonathan, Matthew's foster father, for the first time, I knew right away and with disturbing clarity that what Alice had seen in Matthew's future was correct. The thought tightened my chest. I could smell the sickness in Jonathan though it would be awhile yet before he would find it out himself. By then it would be too late, it probably already was.

When we left the house, Bella approached me, "Matthew's foster father is ill. That's what you and Alice were keeping from me."

"Yes. There is nothing we can do, Bella."

"Matthew has come so far. Are you going to let all of that go to waste? You must see that he will be heartbroken if he has to leave here. Where will he go?"

"I don't know, Bella. Alice hasn't seen that far. There's no point worrying about it now, it hasn't happened yet."

Bella looked straight into my eyes as she spoke, "Matthew is part of our life now. We were beginning to get lost before he came along. He gives us purpose, Edward, a reason to keep living."

I knew she was right. I didn't want to contemplate life without Matthew. He had become something special to Bella and I. His smiles made us happy, his troubles made us sad. When had that happened and why? What space in our life were Bella and I trying to fill? It was like we hadn't known we needed him in our life until he was already a part of it.

Reneesme had grown up so fast, technically she was younger then Matthew, but in most ways she was not at all. She and Jacob had disappeared for the first time together when she was barely seven years old and it had been completely her decision. It was then that I knew she was grown up, that she didn't need us anymore. Still, I had thought that Reneesme would fulfill an immortal lifetime's worth of having children, she was so special, so precious, but it seemed Bella and I had been seeking another child without even knowing it.

Time went on. The snow stopped falling, Matthew learned to read music little by little, and Jonathan got sick. For once Matthew's thoughts were filled with something other then music. He feared greatly loosing the only father figure he had ever had in his life. And then the worst happened, Cicely decided she couldn't give Matthew the time he deserved when she was at the hospital all the time.

It was Carlisle that broached the subject to me, "Why don't we take him in, Edward? It does not have to be permanent. Just until foster care can find him a new placement. Having him stay with us will buy some time. I think he should be here with Cicely and Jonathan when the time comes. Jonathan doesn't have much left."

I wanted to argue but I couldn't. It was impossible for Matthew not to notice that we didn't eat and kept odd hours if he was living in our home all the time but I couldn't deny that I wanted just a little more time with Matthew in our lives.


	11. Protection

_Protection_

_Bella_

Edward sighed for at least the tenth time and stopped his movement below me.

"You can't ignore it either, can you?" I spoke, rolling off of him.

Matthew was staying in my room while he lived with us. We had moved a bed into the room, taking out my couch. It reminded me of when Reneesme was little, listening for breathing and a heartbeat in the next room. A child that slept while you could not. Matthew was not nearly as deep a sleeper as Reneesme nor were his dreams as peaceful. In many ways he worried me more then Reneesme ever had.

Edward ran a hand through his hair, a habit he seemed to have picked up from Matthew, "He's so restless and his _dreams_...they make my head hurt, Bella. He hasn't told us much about his early life, but what I can glean from his dreams and thoughts is terrible...horrible. He's scared. Much more then he ever lets on. The thought of being placed again frightens him no end. He was so happy here before Jonathan got sick."

Matthew had been to visit Jonathan in the hospital today and he had come back looking like a forlorn little boy. Jonathan's death was quickly approaching, he got worse and worse everyday. We had all known it was coming. Matthew's mental health was slowly deteriorating. He was putting on a brave face, but what Edward said of his thoughts terrified me. Matthew thought that he was the cause of Jonathan's illness, that he was cursed, that he never should have come into the Roberts' life.

Edward hopped off the bed and started slipping on a robe over his naked body. It had taken me literally years to be able to look at it without wanting to jump him, even now, with Matthew restless in the next room it was not easy for me to allow him to put on his robe. I let a few of those thoughts slip through, Edward grinned lopsidedly at me as he tied his sash.

"What are you going to do, Edward?" I queried.

"I'm going to bring him here. It seems as though he might be better if he had someone near him. He has been alone so much", Edward looked back from the doorway a moment, "You might want to put something on, love. You're quite lovely that way, but it might give him a shock if he were to wake up to that. Unconsciously, he's attracted to both of us."

I giggled, reaching for my own robe.

A moment later, Edward entered the room with Matthew wrapped in a blanket and draped over his arms. Jude followed at his heels. Yes, Jude was staying with us too. Apparently he had had a high old time tearing up Matthew's room in his absence. The cat was restless with both Matthew and Jonathan out of the house. Cicely didn't know what to do with him. So, he had come to stay with us for the time being. Jacob complained about him all the time but I had caught the two of them napping together in the sun a few days ago.

"_Meow_", said Jude as he waltzed into the room.

"Shush, you", I scolded, "You want to wake your master up?"

Jude gave me a haughty look before jumping up on our bed. In Jude's eyes I would never be as good as Edward or Matthew or _Jasper_...mustn't forget Jasper. The sun rose and set in Jasper. The first time Jude had met him we had all about died laughing. I've never heard a cat purr so loud in all my life. Poor Jasper just sat there looking totally confused as Jude made a bed of his lap. If Jasper was home, Jude tended to follow him from room to room or wait for him in odd places. If we had been human, we would have been tripping over him constantly. On the other hand, _I_ was just a hand to pet Jude. He was such a funny cat though. He was forgiven all this transgressions for the fact that he put up with us at all.

Edward placed Matthew's slumbering form between us on the bed. Careful not to touch his bare skin, I put my arm under his body. The tensed look on Matthew's face relaxed. I brushed his hair out of his eyes. He looked so young in his sleep, so small and vulnerable. I didn't want him to have to be alone any more. I wanted to take away all his pain. I wanted to protect him. He deserved a better life. As if my thoughts had gotten through to him, Matthew's body relaxed between Edward and I, going completely boneless.

_What's he dreaming about now, Edward?_ I thought, opening the block in my mind to let the thought through to Edward.

Edward seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face. He mouthed, "Do you really want to know? Matthew _is_ a teenaged boy."

Oh_...it's not only boys that have those kind of dreams, Edward._

"Oh, I know", Edward spoke under his breath.

Not for the first time, I was relieved Edward couldn't hear my thoughts. My dreams before we had been married had been rather vivid. If I were still able, I would blush at the thought of them. They were just so embarrassing now, clumsy and awkward. I hadn't known at all what it could be like.

Matthew was stirring. _Should we pretend to be asleep, Edward?_

Edward's answer was a brief nod. He turned over. I let my body go limp next to Matthew, closing my eyes.

"The hell..." I heard Matthew mumble. It was hard for me to keep from laughing.

"How did I end up in here, Jude?" Matthew whispered to the cat who's only answer was a purr from the end of the bed, "For that matter, how did you end up in here?"

I stretched and made my voice sound sleepy, "Matt...shh...go back to sleep."

"But Bella, how did I..." He sounded sort of stunned.

"Matthew", Edward interrupted. He was a master at acting, he sounded sleepily annoyed, "You were having a bad dream so we brought you in here. End of story. Go back to sleep."

I could feel Matthew blushing, the sudden warmth near my face as he lay down again. I couldn't resist. I stroked a hand through his hair and kissed his warm cheek, "Don't worry. We're with you now, sweetheart."


	12. Exit Music for a Film

Exit Music (for a Film)

Matthew

I was surprised that I went right back to sleep after waking up in Edward and Bella's bed. In the morning I woke up there alone, tucked into the blankets. Even Jude was already up, probably following Jasper around, the little traitor. Even in the middle of the night I had been surprised to wake up in a strange bed, it was even odder in the morning when I was more aware. The bed smelled of Edward and Bella's scents, a heady combination.

It became clear to me the Edward and Bella weren't about to discuss it when I went down to breakfast. Esme set a plate in front of me and, as usual, it seemed like only Jacob, Seth, Reneesme, and I were partaking of the meal. Edward and Bella were there but engrossed in their own conversation, which continued in the car on the way to school. When Bella and I moved on to British Literature together, she started talking about something, I don't even remember what it was. Wasn't it me that was supposed to be embarrassed? Yet it was Edward and Bella who were skirting the issue.

I decided to take their lead and ignore it for now. I had too many things on my mind as it was. No use in worrying about something that wasn't even important. What struck me about the whole experience was the way Edward and Bella had sounded to me in the middle of the night, like parents halfheartedly scolding a child for getting into bed with them after a bad dream. It had reminded me of Jonathan and Cicely laughing about my spaciness for the first time, it wasn't meant to be hurtful in any way, it was meant to put me at ease. It wasn't the first time Edward and Bella had seemed much older to me and something inside of me hoped it wouldn't be the last. I needed that kind of constant in my life.

A week later Jonathan died and Cicely was moving back to California to be closer to her family. They were having Jon's memorial service back in California since most of his family and friends were there still. I was secretly glad not to have to attend, I'm still not very good with new people. It was all happening so fast though. I knew it wasn't long before I was placed with a new family. I dreaded the day. I felt at home with the Cullens, even if they were a bit weird. I felt safe. I had only ever once felt the same way before and that was with the Roberts.

Cicely was leaving today and the house looked so empty even just from the windows when I drove into the driveway. I was borrowing a car from the Cullens, not like they didn't have plenty, but I was still grateful. I was glad it was one of the older ones, a silver Volvo that seemed to have been around the block a few times. Seeing the empty house made it hard for me to get out of the car. I didn't want to say goodbye to Cicely just yet.

I tried to pull myself together and got out of the car. Cicely was waiting for me at the door, her eyes shining. I wasn't sure how well I was succeeding in hiding my feelings. I tried to calm my face.

"Jon wanted you to have his guitar, Matt", Cicely handed me the familiar case.

"Are you sure?" I was incredulous. Jon's guitar was not a cheap one. It was a shiny black Stratocaster and not a new one, it was old and in perfect playing condition. It was a priceless gift.

"Yes, Matt. Jon was insistent. Neither of our children understand music the way you do. They would not understand the meaning of such a gift. Jon really enjoyed the time he got to spend with you playing it. I know seeing your face now that you should have it."

"T-thank you", I hugged the case to myself.

"Oh, Matthew", Cicely pulled me into a hug, the tears flowing freely now.

My own eyes teared. I would miss this woman so badly. She was the only real mother I had ever known. It was so hard to be strong and not show her how weak I was, how much it hurt. I wanted cry my eyes out, I wanted to bawl like a baby.

"We wanted so badly to keep you, Matthew", Cicely held me to her, "We were going to adopt you. I shouldn't even tell you that, but I want you to know. I just don't think that I could do it on my own. I want you to have the best possible life. I can't give it to you now."

"Thank you...I'll never forget either of you", I was at a complete loss of words to have one of my dearest wishes spoken aloud.

"Keep in touch, Matthew. Call me, e-mail me, whatever, but please keep in touch. I love you and so did Jon. Goodbye, my little space cadet", she kissed me on the cheek, her eyes still shining, "And make sure and thank the Cullens again for me for taking in Jude. I know he'll be happier with them then he would be with me now. I hope you find a wonderful new family, a family who will love and protect you. You are very special. Goodbye, Matthew."

Cicely waved me off. I was sick to my stomach with grief. Was I cursed? Had Jonathan died because I had come into their life? I wished I had never been born. My entire life had been one big mess, one disaster after another. Now it was starting to effect good people's lives. It was raining again, the weather fit my mood. The lake looked almost as angry as I felt.

I was so immersed in my own thoughts that it was too late before I saw it. I swerved away from the deer and I lost control of the car on the slippery road. It hurt but I was almost glad of the pain. I was so happy to be dying, to give it all up finally. I would never burden anyone again. I was gone. So ended the life of a space cadet.


	13. Cover Your Tracks

_Cover Your Tracks_

_Edward_

"_Edward_", Alice, gripped my arm.

I was suddenly immersed in Alice's vision. Matthew swerved away from a deer, his tires spinning on the slippery road. The Volvo hit a tree, the front end crumpling on impact. Alice had been watching Matthew constantly but this was a split second thing. The deer hadn't been in the road before and now it was.

"What is it, Edward?" Bella inquired, her eyes wide. She could sense something was wrong.

Alice interrupted, "Edward, _do_ something", she looked anguished.

I grabbed Bella's hand, not bothering to explain it to her. She didn't question my speed. We ran together out the door and through the woods. Matthew had been almost home. I heard Bella's intake of breath behind me as she spotted the car. She pulled it away from the tree. I delicately maneuvered Matthew's body from the wreckage. He was covered in his own blood, his chest crushed. Miraculously, his heart was still beating, but I knew without a doubt that he wouldn't survive the trip to the hospital or even back home to Carlisle.

Bella knew it too, "Edward, do something! Edward, please! You have to save him! Edward, please, please, save him!", Bella screamed at me. I knew that if she were able, tears would be streaming down her face.

I bit him. There was no time to think, no room for hesitation. It was either now or he was going to die and I wasn't ready to let Matthew go. After the first bite in his wrist, Matthew began to whimper, the venom entering his system, burning away what little was left of his human life. With each bite I gave him, the whimpers got louder. When I was satisfied that I had gotten enough venom into his bloodstream to change him quickly, I lifted him into my arms.

I turned to Bella, "Get Jon's guitar out of the Volvo, it survived the crash better then Matthew. He'll want it later. Get rid of the car. No loose ends. I'm taking him home. I'll wait for you to get back and then we're leaving."

I set off running towards the house. Matthew was screaming by this point, letting everyone at home know what I had done before I had even arrived there. I was greeted at the door by Esme and Carlisle, both looking worried.

"Can't we give him morphine like we did with Bella?" I pleaded with Carlisle. Matthew's cries of pain reverberated in my ears.

"It's too late, Edward. The venom is already too much in control of his body", Carlisle hid it well, but there was something else going on there.

He caught the recognition on my face, "Later, Edward."

Jasper came up beside me. He knew already what I would ask of him. He waited for my command, "Delete every trace of him, Jazz. Cover the tracks. Matthew Bellamy Peake never existed. We're leaving tonight."

"Where are you going?" He questioned.

"Someplace hidden. Alaska, I guess", I decided on the spot.

"_Yes_, Alaska", Alice came up beside him. I nodded briefly at her, I trusted her judgment.

"We'll join you once we've cleared out the place", Carlisle put in.

"I'm sorry for this, Carlisle."

"You did the right thing, Edward. It wasn't his time", He put a hand on my shoulder. Carlisle believed in me, as he always did. I hoped I had made the right choice this time.

Matthew's arm flailed. The venom was already fixing his injuries, "It_ burns_", he was coming to.

I had hoped he would stay unconscious for longer. I hurried up the stairs. Bella was waiting in his room, the guitar case beside her. I set him down on the bed. Matthew opened his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes were turning a weird violet color. It hurt me deeply that I would never see them again. When he had been changed completely they would be red.

Finding my face, he panted, "What's happening to me, Edward? Why does it...why am I burning? I...I don't see the fire. I thought...I thought I was...already dead. I don't...don't want to burn to death."

And he was gone. His eyes rolled back into his head and he screamed again, newly healed limbs flailing. Bella dumped him in the bath, underneath his clothes, his cuts and bruises were already healing. She dressed him in new clothes when he was clean. She carried him herself out to the car.

Reneesme appeared next the car, "You're coming along?" I asked, though I knew the answer from her mind.

"Maybe I can numb some of the pain."

"I hadn't thought of that as a possibility."

Reneesme placed a hand on Matthew. The screaming subsided. Matthew's mind and my own were filled with music suddenly. Reneesme was thinking about herself playing the piano which in turn made Matthew feel like he was in her place. Pain seemed to be on the back burner for now. I wasn't sure how long such a solution would last but I was thankful for my daughter's ability to dull it even for a little while.

Jacob came out to the garage, "Seth and I are gonna follow the car."

"Do you think there is a possibility of a fight or are you just following Nessie?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"A little of both", Jacob grinned.

I didn't really care either way. Jacob and Seth could be trusted implicitly in a fight. They could also explain Matthew when we got into the wolves' territory in Washington. I was thankful yet again to Jacob for giving in to his birthright. We would never be able to go back to Forks if the other wolves knew we had made another vampire but with an alpha on our side there was little they could do.

We got Matthew settled in the car, his head in Bella's lap, his feet in Reneesme's in the back seat. Alice was beside me in the front seat. Alice was on the phone with Tanya, warning her that we were on our way and what to expect. As I sped through the trees, rain pouring in sheets down the windshield, I wondered what kind of newborn Matthew was going to make.


	14. Psyche

_Psyche_

_Bella_

I was beside myself when we found the Volvo. Edward hadn't warned me, I hadn't known what to expect. The smell of Matthew's blood was overpowering. It was hard to tune it out. I couldn't trust myself to breath, let alone to bite Matthew myself. I am still a young vampire and I've never bit a human. I couldn't let myself make a mistake with Matthew. I pleaded desperately with Edward, knowing that if anyone could change Matthew safely, it would be him. I couldn't let Matthew go yet. I hoped beyond hope Edward couldn't either.

I watched, fascinated, as Edward methodically bit Matthew. Edward's mouth and, more importantly, his teeth were at Matthew's wrists, his neck, at his ankles. I lost track of the bites as Matthew started whimpering. I remembered with alarming clarity the last few days of my own human life, the unbelievable burning pain of the change. I knew there was nothing I could do to help Matthew but I didn't want him to feel anymore pain, physical or emotional. If I were able to take on the pain of the change myself for him, I would do so without hesitation even having experienced it before.

Edward knew I needed to get away from the scent of Matthew's blood. He sent me off to get rid of the car. I was sad to see the old Volvo in such a state. I think we had hung onto it all these years out of sentimental attachment more then anything else. I removed the license plates and dumped it in the junkyard of cars one of our neighbors kept. They would never notice the addition of another car at the bottom of pile they already had and even if they did, we would be long gone by then. There was no way to trace it, all the identification was gone. I was glad of the cover of darkness, there were no streetlights out where we lived.

I allowed myself a few parting glances at the lake. I had liked it here. Tonight we would leave it behind. It would be a long time before we cycled back to Coeur d'Alene again. I wasn't sure where Edward would choose to go. I was just happy that Matthew would be with us. God only knew what type of newborn he was going to be. I was glad that the rest of my family was well experienced with newborns. I hoped that I could be a help and not a hindrance to his training.

I could hear Matthew's screams downstairs when I got back. Soon Edward brought him upstairs to me. He needed to be clean for the trip in case he was seen by humans. I tossed all human decorum and stripped him, giving him a good dunking in the bath. He wasn't aware at the moment anyhow. I pulled him into some clean clothes, a tee-shirt and jeans, I think. Alice would probably scoff at them later, but his comfort was more important then style right now.

Matthew was like me, he wouldn't care what he was wearing. It was going to be hard enough for him to get used to how he looked when the change was complete. Already his eyes were no longer the sparkling blue I was used to. It was the one human thing about him that I would be sad to see go. I carried him down to the car, his screams of pain echoing in my ears. I was startled when Reneesme's touch calmed him. I had never thought of such an application for her ability.

Matthew became aware somewhere about halfway through Washington. I had been stroking his hair for a little while now, somewhat to calm my own fears. He groaned, opening his eyes but not moving the rest of his body. My chest tightened, his eyes were a deep violet, edging into red.

"What's happening to me, Bella?" His voice was soft, hoarse, and obviously pained. Reneesme's touch could not numb all of it. Only the changing of his body chemistry was allowing him to even converse with me at the moment. A normal human would not be able to focus on the pain, whatever Reneesme was showing him to calm it, and a conversation.

"Is it time to tell him everything?" I entreated of Edward.

Edward spoke calmly from the front seat, "Yes, though I'm not so sure you haven't figured out some of these things along the way all by yourself, Matthew. If so, you've been very good about keeping them to yourself and I commend you for that. My wife was right about you. She knew even before Alice that you belonged in our family."

"Your wife? You and Bella are married? Is that even legal?" Matthew croaked out.

"Going on fifteen years now", Edward chuckled.

"_What_...you've been married since you were like four or something?"

I snorted, it was bizarre that Matthew was fixating on this one detail.

"Matthew, I can hear your thoughts", Edward let that sink in for a moment. Matthew didn't seem particularly surprised by that admission. Well, Edward _had_ slipped up an awful lot of times on that one around Matthew, "You know there is something more to this. You don't have to play dumb anymore. We're going to tell you everything, okay. You're one of us now. You'll be with us from now on. We won't leave you behind. We will _never_ leave you behind."

Matthew took a shaky breath, "You mean like the fact that you all haven't aged even the tiniest bit since I met you? And the fact that you never seem to eat excepting Nessie and Jake, of course. But they're different from the rest of you anyhow, aren't they?"

"Yes, Matthew. What is happening to you, what you are becoming, is like Bella and I, like Alice and the rest of the family. When Bella and I found you, you were dying. Your chest was crushed, you were not going to survive. I bit you, flooded your bloodstream with my venom."

Matthew's breath caught, "You're _vampires_?"

"Essentially, yes. That is what you are becoming, Matthew." Edward's voice held many emotions, "We couldn't let you die. You had become too important to us."

It took Matthew awhile to ask another question, "Will I live on blood?"

"We, all of us Cullens I mean, we live on the blood of animals. It is not an easy life but we will help you."

Matthew shut his eyes, that seem to satisfy him a bit, "So, why Coeur d'Alene?"

"We prefer places with fewer sunny days. And, yes, I know we go out during the day, obviously the sun doesn't _hurt_ us. You'll learn why we prefer overcast climates soon enough." Edward laughed, answering a question from Matthew's thoughts, "I was born at the end of the eighteen hundreds, but Bella isn't so old. She's only been around since the nineteen eighties", he paused, listening to Matthew's thoughts again, "Exactly, although she got pretty close to nineteen."

This conversation was not going in a direction I wanted it to, "I'm not nineteen, Edward. Don't start that again...I'm eighteen and you're seventeen. There is only a year age difference between us."

"You know I just like to provoke you, Bella", Edward grinned from the front seat.

Everyone in the car laughed, Matthew's was a bit strained, but I thought it was a good sign. I was so glad to have all of that out of the way. Matthew seemed to be taking this all okay. Now my only worry was how he would be when he had changed completely. I was glad of my family surrounding him, with their help, Matthew would become like us, I just knew it. He had to.


	15. Overture

_Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)_

_Bella_

The next day, we had reached Alaska and without so much as a hitch. This was of course due to Edward's crazy speeding, over the years I've just had to get used to that. I have to admit, it's useful in times like this. Somewhere near the border of Washington and Canada, we spotted the wolves. Reneesme waved through the window at a wolf with a little gray in his coat that I thought was Sam.

Sam would probably retire soon, he had a twelve year old son and a very young daughter. I wondered who would take his place as alpha and whether his son would end up joining the pack someday. Sam had come to terms with his life over the years, with Emily's help, but I couldn't help thinking he wouldn't want the same fate for his son. Soon the pack disappeared from view, only Jacob and Seth followed us again. Around there, Matthew also become aware for the second time. Reneesme was drowsing with her hand in his.

"I was dreaming about running with huge wolves", he intoned in surprise.

"I'm sure you were. There are a few things you still need to know about us, Matthew", Edward took a deep breath, blew it out slowly.

"Jacob and Seth _are _wolves, _were_wolves, to be exact. You were probably dreaming about them because Reneesme currently is, she's been dulling your pain all day by showing you things. That is her ability...like my ability to hear thoughts. Her ability is making people see _her_ thoughts, _her _dreams. Alice can see the future. And Bella can block mental attacks. Many in our family have special abilities."

"Will I have an ability?" I love how Matthew just decided to ignore the werewolves bit. I wondered if that was _too_ weird for him.

"It is possible, but I don't know, Matthew. We won't know until you have changed completely. And there is another thing, Reneesme is our biological daughter, Bella and mine. She was born before Bella was turned. She is only half vampire. That is why she is different from the rest of us, as you noted before."

Matthew looked incredulous, "You two..."

Edward cleared his throat. Unlike Edward, I couldn't hear Matthew's thoughts, but I could imagine the direction of them. I shuddered with laughter in the backseat. Alice was silently shaking in the front seat. Edward was a bit of a prude sometimes.

* * *

"Oh, Bella, I missed you all so much!" We were greeted by Tanya, her soft strawberry blond curls bouncing in excitement.

"This is our cousin Tanya, Matt. This is our...our new son, Matthew", I was surprised that Edward had introduced him that way. I knew it was how we thought of him but to actually say it out loud, it seemed permanent now, indelible. I smiled at the thought.

Matthew's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't known. He looked as though he wanted to cry as he looked up at Edward. Edward grinned down at him.

Tanya's golden eyes were glazed as she took in Matthew in Edward's arms, "Tanya?" I questioned.

"Good God", Edward rolled his eyes, "_Never_ bet against Alice. Welcome to the family, Matthew."

"What? Edward, what are you saying?" I didn't understand, Matthew was already a part of our family.

"Just look at her, Bella _and_ I can hear her thoughts", he spoke with a sigh, "She's decided already that he's the one. If Matthew chooses, he'll be joining the Denali clan in the future. Enough, Tanya, seriously, I get the point. I don't need to see _all_ the things you want to do with him. Hmm...", Edward's brow furrowed suddenly, "That's very...uh..._creative_."

"I would say that I'm sorry, but I'm not, dear Edward. I think you've finally got some competition in the looks department. He's _lovely_. Hello, Matthew, I am _very_ pleased to meet you. You don't know how very much." Tanya turned the full force of her smile on him, reaching a hand out to stroke his cheek.

The rest of the family arrived a few hours later. I could hear all the greetings downstairs. We had gotten Reneesme and Matthew settled upstairs for the night.

"Goodnight...little brother", I heard Reneesme say. She kissed Matthew's cheek before nestling into his side.

I was just beside myself with happiness as I looked down at Reneesme and Matthew lying in the bed together. My son and daughter, my family felt complete. Reneesme was holding hands with Matthew so she didn't break away from him in her sleep. Matthew's face looked a little disturbed and he was making these cute little noises of annoyance. Reneesme, on the other hand, was smiling, obviously having a pleasing dream. Edward stood next to me watching them, an odd look on his face.

"What's she dreaming about?", I questioned.

"_Jacob_", was his answer.

"Oh..." No wonder poor Matthew sounded disturbed.

"Yes, I think Matthew is going to be a little confused when he wakes up from that one. It seems like Tanya would be pleased to set him straight. At least it's keeping his mind off the pain, I guess."

"How do you deal with that, Edward? She's our daughter, isn't it hard to see them...well, you know? It's bad enough that I can _hear_ them."

"Bella, I can see inside all of their heads. I see it all the time. I just tune it out most of time, I have to. I would go crazy if I didn't."

I laid my head on his shoulder, it was so hard for Edward sometimes. I was glad that my own gift was not so trying.

"_Bella_", Edward's tone of voice said he was on alert, "Get Reneesme out of here. He's about to fully change over."

I picked up my daughter and rushed her from the room. Matthew's screams had started again without Reneesme to dull the pain. They echoed behind me. Already, Alice and Jasper were coming down the hall and entering Matthew's room.

Alice's eyes were wide, "Get her away from here. Let Jacob and Seth guard her at the cabin. He's going to be unstable. Reneesme can't afford to be anywhere near him."

I'm sure my look now mirrored her own. The cabin was miles away. It was a place we had set aside if anyone wanted to get away and be alone for awhile. This was going to be bad. Matthew was not going to be like me, he was going to a true newborn.

_Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews! I always read them and they make me so happy knowing that people are reading and enjoying the story! Sorry about the delay between this chapter and the last. We're getting down to the last few chapters now and I don't want to say goodbye...everyone is sort of dragging their feet and not telling me what they want to say. Next chapter will be Edward's POV and the last chapter will be from Matthew's POV. He's not much in a state to have a POV right now._


	16. Cross Pollination

_Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination)_

_Edward_

The first time Matthew growled at me, I honestly wanted to laugh. I mean, meek little and totally not confrontational Matthew, barring his teeth at me. It was really rather laughable. Except that it really wasn't, not at all. We seemed to be loosing him. He wasn't making much progress. He hadn't gotten away from us yet, so he hadn't had any human blood, but he wanted to. He really really wanted to. Reneesme couldn't be anywhere near him and neither could Jacob or Seth. My family seemed to be falling apart at the seams. Matthew's head was a chaotic mess of bloody thoughts that it was hard to even pick through.

To see those bright red eyes shining in Matthew's face was horrifying. I prayed the day would come sooner rather then later that they cooled to amber. Nothing could replace those bright blue eyes of his but at least amber would look more human and less like a monster's eyes. Matthew hardly spoke at all and he certainly wasn't working on music. He spent most of his time thinking about blood or having sex with Tanya. _That_ was perhaps the only thing that distracted him from blood. I personally didn't know how Tanya could be alone with him, the thought scared even me and I am quite comfortable in my own strength. One of us was usually nearby watching out for her, but still, he could easily end her life in a fit of anger. I guess she really does love him.

I don't think I ever expected him to be that way. To be so...out of control. He was a newborn in every sense of the word, a creature entirely new and different from the Matthew I had known in his human life. I wondered at every turn if I had done the right thing in changing him. Had his mind been too unstable to deal with the change?

We used Kate to zap him when even Jasper couldn't calm him down. I hated feeling the pain in his head...the confusion. It was always then that his mind was the most clear to me. Bella and I relentlessly pleaded with him to untangle his thoughts and come back to us.

And then, about four months into his new life, something very strange started to happened. His eyes were cooling gradually but they weren't turning the amber color the rest of our's had at this stage, they were turning into a glowing violet. It was almost as though the startling blue eyes he had been born with in his human life were showing through the vampire red. After this gradual change I started hearing music swirling around in his brain again.

Then Matthew finally returned to the piano. One day, he just sat down and started playing, the piece writing itself as his fingers brushed over the keys. His improved senses had only sharpened and honed his skill. I knew that everything was going to be alright when his fingers finally touched those keys.

That first time I heard him play the piano as a vampire, I would have cried if I could. Reneesme did cry, fat tears of joy. She had just come back to the house to live with the rest of us. It had been especially hard on her to be away while Matthew suffered through the first few months of his new life. She had wanted to be able to offer her support to her little brother but it just hadn't been safe.

As Reneesme glided over to sit next to Matthew on the bench he smiled broadly at her, I knew that they were going to be a close brother and sister. I hadn't known our family had been missing anything, it had seemed complete. Now it seemed so right, so perfect, perhaps more then complete. I was everyday more astounded by my good luck, by the fact that my life held so much joy.

* * *

"_They've_ been watching him."

Alice didn't have to say who _they_ were. I knew the Volturi would watch any new addition we made to our family. Tallulah hadn't been very interesting to them, she had no special abilities, other then being able to love a werewolf, of course. Which really was a miracle in itself. Matthew, on the other hand, as he had begun to speak again, well, we had begun to realize just how gifted he was. We had known a little of what to expect, since Eleazar had sensed some of his talent in the beginning but it turned into more then we would have ever bargained for the more Matthew matured.

He was just so _persuasive_. He could convince you of _anything_ and if he sang, you were his, he had you wrapped around him little finger. It even worked on Bella, she could not shield herself from him. One word from those lips and she was putty in his hands. I was thankful that Matthew had not spoken in his early stages of being a newborn. It could have been a mess, an absolute mess. He could have convinced us all to let him destroy entire towns, probably could have gotten us to help. Now it was just little things, going hunting when _he_ wanted or getting Tanya into bed with him (not that she needed much convincing for that). He never abused the power.

"He interests them, of course", I spoke, glancing at my favorite sister. We hadn't explained the Volturi to Matthew yet, just that there were consequences for not following the rules. So far, he was not having a hard time obeying those rules.

Alice raised her eyebrow, "You mean he scares the hell out of them, Edward. They don't stand a chance against him and Bella. One word out of his mouth and they'd be his servants for eternity. She shields him while he's doing and they don't stand a chance. They'll never come after us as long as Matthew and Bella are part of this family."

"Never?", that seemed so final. The Volturi _hated_ us, envied us. The addition of Matthew to our family must absolutely gall them.

"_Never_", Alice intoned in complete seriousness.

Could living a life without the threat of the Volturi constantly hanging over our heads really be that easy? I hadn't even known what Matthew's capabilities were when I had changed him, I had just known that he belonged with us. I was overjoyed that it seemed like it had been the right thing to do. I was overjoyed that my family would finally be safe from harm. I was thankful to the son who had finally completed my life.


	17. Redemption

_Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)_

_Matthew_

For the first few months of my new life I don't remember much of anything but the constant burning in my throat and sex with Tanya. Lots and lots of sex with Tanya. My virginity was _long_ gone by the time I was a week old. It was the only thing that could really distract me from wanting blood. It wasn't, however, Tanya who went hunting with me. It was usually Edward, who could hear any thoughts I had of mutiny, or Jasper, who could feel and change my unstable moods, Kate, who's zaps hurt like hell, even in this new body, or Emmett, who was just plain huge and could restrain me at the first sign of problem.

It was a new thing for me, being so strong. I had never been one for any serious weightlifting in my previous human life and I had always been small, my human body didn't have much inherent strength. The first time I actually remember taking down a bear while hunting with Emmett, it shocked me. _After_ I had drained it of blood of course. While I was hunting it the only thing I could think about was the pumping of blood through it's veins. How that blood would sooth the fiery itching in my throat. But when I was done and the carcass of this huge beast lay before me, I was astounded, appalled that my tiny body could have taken such a gargantuan creature down.

I think I was about five months old when I finally sat down and had a serious conversation for the first time in my new life. The color of my eyes was now an icy blue that looked more familiar in the mirror and I was beginning to feel more like myself again. By the way, no one has been able to figure that one out, why I have blue eyes again, I mean. The only conclusion they have come to is that they all had dark eyes in their previous lifetimes. When I'm thirsty they start edging into dark violet. If anyone sees my eyes start turning violet, they've got me out hunting in seconds. Makes me wonder just how bad I was in the beginning.

Anyhow, there was room in my head for thoughts other then blood and sex now. The burning in my throat was still there, it was always there, but I could think around it. It was ignorable finally. It was Bella I spoke to. My first friend ever really and now my mother, my best friend for life. I didn't feel like I had spoken to her in forever. It was her voice I had heard the most at my side as I burned away the last few days of my human life. I often hadn't been able to answer her, but just hearing her voice had been a comfort to me. I hadn't had much preparation. I'm not sure anything could ever prepare you for the change, the unbelievable pain of it. Even with Reneesme there to dull the pain, it was not something I would ever want to experience again.

Perhaps Bella sensed that I was closer to myself again because it was she who started the conversation, "How are you doing, Matthew?"

My voice was underused as of late, I still wasn't used to the new timbre of it. I expected it to be husky from disuse, but it came out perfectly strong and unfamiliar, "I'm better now, I think."

"You've had a rough time of it. It makes me realize how lucky I was."

"What do you mean?" I hadn't heard what she was like when she had been changed.

"I seemed to skip the whole newborn faze when I was changed. Maybe it was just that there was too much at stake and I felt like I needed to be mature because Nessie had only just been born and Edward was already so overwrought about having to change me. I _had_ to be normal. But I didn't expect to be."

"How bad was I, Bella? Be honest." I honestly didn't remember. Sometimes I'm really glad of that.

"The boys all say you were constantly distracted and it was hard to keep you on track with hunting animals. You would always find a human scent to follow even if they hadn't smelled it themselves. You must have some sense of smell to get one up on Edward", she giggled.

"That's terrible, Bella!"

"Not at all, it's _normal_", she paused to stroke my cheek with a smile, reassuring me, "Besides, the boys kept you from hunting humans. Your conscience is just as clean as mine. And Jasper is happy because now he knows that I was just a fluke. It's a good thing you hardly talked those first few months however. You have quite a subtle gift. If you had known your voice was so persuasive, who knows what kind of havoc you could have wrought. I must say though, Tanya certainly seems to be enjoying herself immensely. At least you didn't lose your sex drive to blood lust."

Had I been able I would have blushed, "Bella...", I stammered, totally embarrassed.

"You'll find little room for privacy in the vampire world, Matthew. There are few secrets between the Cullen family and the Denali clan. Get used to it. Just be glad Emmett hasn't been at you. He's the absolute worst. He made jokes about Edward and I for literally years after we'd been married and he still makes a crack once in awhile. Maybe he's scared of Tanya or maybe he's scared of _you_, after all, you've been a much scarier newborn then I ever was."

The thought of me scaring Emmett was bizarre. Soon after that, I also had my first real conversation with Tanya. It might seem kind of strange that I had never really spoken to her considering how often we had seen each other naked by now. With us there had never been a huge need for conversation. We could say a lot with just a touch.

"You know, Matthew...I once thought that I was in love with Edward."

That didn't surprise me, my adopted father was wonderful, not to mention the most beautiful in our family. I nodded, not offended one little bit.

"I see only now how wrong I was. What I feel for you is so much stronger, Matthew", she brushed her fingers across my chest, I shivered in delight. Even the barest touch from her could get me going sometimes.

It should be obvious to you who is in control of our relationship, but I just can't bring myself to care. I'd follow Tanya around like a little chick if that was what she wanted. I love her. She isn't like that though. I think it's was my size. We're pretty close to the same height. Edward towers over her, as he does over me. I have this feeling that she would have let Edward be in control of their relationship, had they had one, even though it really isn't in her nature. But me, she feels completely comfortable with me, she acts like herself. Sometimes that means manipulating me with her touch like a puppet on a string.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to be in that kind of mood today, "You are so beautiful, Matthew. I never dreamed it was possible that someone would be more beautiful then Edward."

I opened my mouth to protest. I'm very protective of my adopted father.

She put a finger to my lips, "Accept it, space boy", she spoke with a smile, "In my eyes, you are."

Yes, Tanya had taken to calling me Bella's nickname. Sadly, it still fit. Even as a vampire I'm bit of a space cadet. I guess it's part of what makes me, well _me_.

I kissed her and I whispered in her ear, "I love you."

"I _think_ I love you too. God only knows if you persuaded me to with that voice though, Matthew", she giggled as I pouted, "Of course I love you, Matthew. How could I not? I waited so long for you."

Tanya brought me close to her and we lay like that together for a long time. No more words needed to be spoken.

To play the piano now, to hear the clarity of the music, it's an absolute dream. Edward says I'm getting very good but I don't really know if he's telling the truth. Edward is a rather _indulgent_ father. And then there's that, my father, my mother, my sister. Who would have ever thought? And Tanya, that is a gift I never deserved. I will do everything in my power to keep my family safe, to keep the secret. I am a Cullen now, _forever_.


	18. Where is Home

_Where is Home_

_Matthew_

_Cicely,_

_I'm really sorry it has taken me so long to write you. The Cullen's adopted me (I know_, surprise_...who would have thought they would adopt another kid). We moved up to Alaska a few months back, they have some family up here. I've been practicing with Jon's guitar, I hope I get as good as him someday. Edward is still giving me lessons on the piano, he say's I'm getting pretty good. Edward's too nice sometimes though. I've met a girl named Tanya, we've been together a couple of months now, but I really think she might be the one. I feel like I'm home at last. I'm so happy. I hope you're happy too. Thank you for all you did for me. I miss you very much._

_Sincerely, your little space cadet,_

_Matthew_

I have a new name now: Matthew Jonathan Edward Cullen.

_Eight_ pale-skinned and shadowed-eyed strangers walked into the school cafeteria. Two blonds, two with black hair, two with bronze hair, and two with brown hair...but that's another story now _isn't_ it?

_The End_

_Author's Note: First of all, I want to thank each and every one of my readers. You are the reason I could keep going with this story! Thank you to everyone who took the time to review...your kind words make me smile! _

_This story began in a rather round about way. As a Muse fan long before reading _The Twilight Saga _and _Blue Bloods _by Melissa de la Cruz (the second book of which features _Time is Running Out_-Muse "Absolution"), I had to wonder what it was about Muse and vampires...in my years of liking them before the popularity of these books, their music had never brought to mind vampires for me. My husband decided to be silly about it and his answer was, "Because Matthew Bellamy is really a vampire" (aside note, like Bella, I got married quite young, so I'm still in my twenties). My husband isn't particularly _fond _of Muse, so any reason to make fun of them he'll take but something about his comment sort of stuck in my head. _

_I was very lucky last April to have the opportunity to see Muse live. One of my favorite memories of the concert was in fact not while Muse was playing but while the opening band was playing (The Silversun Pickups, who I'm sorry to report were horrible live). I was looking around (I was down on the floor) and happened to look up towards behind the stage. Who should peak out the door but a tiny little guy in a silver blazer, yep, you guessed it, Matthew Bellamy. He looked to be nervously checking the crowd out, such a endearing gesture, and I liked him all the more for it. _

_Anyhow, when Muse was onstage I couldn't take my eyes off of Matthew, he really had quite a stage presence even though he seemed to be off in his own little world through most of the concert. There was something sort of other-worldly about him not to mention the fact that he is a fabulous musician. To this day, I feel so lucky to have heard _Feeling Good_ and _Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)_ live. While "The Resistance" is not my favorite album, it was the first time they were somewhere nearby where I could see them. I guess you can thank _Twilight_ to some extent for their new found popularity. Just a few years ago, people looked at me like I was nuts when I said my favorite band was Muse because no one had heard of them in the US!_

_You can see where my head was going after seeing Muse...I wanted to create a character with some of Matthew Bellamy's characteristics perhaps, but who was entirely his own being. My __Matthew was born out of some random daydreaming (probably while on a Muse high, I don't know). This past summer, a few of the ideas I wrote down started becoming the basis for this story. My mind had some interesting ideas of what it wanted to do w__ith my_ _Matthew and the Cullens which I'm quite sure __my_ _Matthew is thankful did not come to fruition, haha. I think _Where is Home _is a better and more believable story for it. _

_So that's how it began...with a very silly question! There is a possibility of a few side stories in this arc...Seth and Tallulah's meeting perhaps? Do you even remember this poor dear? She didn't turn out to be very important in the scheme of things. Please let me know if you're interested though or if there are any other side stories you might be interested in. Thank you again for reading! And if you haven't, please go and check out my playlist for _Where is Home _on my profile!_


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